


The Exalted One

by SaturnsWife



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Abuse, Aftermath of Torture, Angst, Death, F/M, Fluff, I love Iroh so much, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Morgana is a cinnamon roll, Panic Attacks, Past Abuse, Past Child Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Rape/Non-con Elements, Slow Burn, Trauma, Violence, Zuko is a Softie, zuko is trying
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-16 15:15:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29455848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaturnsWife/pseuds/SaturnsWife
Summary: Morgana never understood what true cruelty was. That was until her village in the Southern Water Tribes was attacked by a band of fire nation soldiers at just 7 years old. Both of her nurturing parents were killed, but she was spared for one purpose, to become adopted by a cruel and angry man of the fire nation.Trigger Warnings will be in effectThis fic is dark so please be careful
Relationships: Zuko (Avatar)/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 6





	1. Cruelty

**Author's Note:**

> TRIGGER WARNING: CHILD ABUSE, AND VIOLENCE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An introduction to Morganas life, also her escape and why she acts the way she does.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING: ABUSE AND VIOLENCE  
> Song for this chapter:  
> Useless Child - Kikuo

“Morganaaaa where are youuuu?” The drunken haze of her father echoed through the walls of her empty house. Morgana crouched underneath a table, her heart beating out of her chest as her father stomped through the house looking for her.

She never thought it would get this bad. When she was 7 and her village was attacked and raided, both of her parents were killed, leaving her with no one until she was found, cowering in the snow alone. She was captured by the fire nation and sold at a slave auction to her new “father”. Morgana would never refer to this man as her father for as long as she lived. He was not nurturing and strong like a father. He was angry and cruel to her, taking his anger out on her for 9 grueling years. The best days were when he was sober and ignored her, acting like she wasn’t there. But under the influence, he was dangerous. He would hurt her, scream at her, and treat her like filthy scum.   
  


As she was hiding under the table, she saw his thick black boots stomp right past her until they stopped. She held her breath, _Spirits please, don’t let him hear me._ They sat there in silence before the tension was cut

Her father yanked his hand down under the table. She cried out as he grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her on her feet to face him. She writhed in his grasp as he held her tightly

His deep brown eyes were full of rage and aggression, jawbones jutted out of his skin angrily as he towered over her smaller form. He was a very tall and large man, with powerful shoulders and muscles that demanded respect. His long black hair hung messily on his shoulders.   
  


They sat in silence for another minute, Morgana trying everything to avoid looking at him when he spoke with his baritone voice, ”Found you.” Morgana flinched hard at his words and help tears start to well up in her eyes. He tugged harder on her hair causing her to whimper. “LOOK AT ME WHEN IM SPEAKING TO YOU BITCH!” He threw her on the floor as a tear fell down her face. He leaned down to her level, his face inches from hers when he roughly grabbed her chin with her hand and yanked it roughly. “Are you going to cry now? You certainly don’t deserve to. All you do is whine!” She flinched again and more tears fell down her face. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to keep her tears in.

He gripped harder, digging his nails into her skin as blood trickled down her cheek. She sobbed and cried out, “Please stop! That hurts!” He pulled her face closer to his, she could feel his hot and angry breath on her skin before he released her quickly and slapped the back of his palm against her face. “DONT YOU DARE SPEAK TO ME LIKE THAT AGAIN YOU LITTLE BITCH!” Before she could react she felt his strong arm wrap around her waist tightly and pull her back roughly against his chest. She was full on weeping at this point, cries and whimpers spilling out her mouth before she felt his move his hand from her waist to her mouth, slamming his hand on her mouth and his other pulled a knife out of his boot,

She felt him press the knife on her skin harder and harder. She screamed against his hand as he cut her skin and drug the blade down her throat before he pulled off her. He kept his hand over her mouth as he leaned his mouth over her ear and spoke at a whisper. “How did that feel?” He took his hand off her mouth and returned it around her waist and hugged her tightly. His breath was hot against her ear as she felt another cold tear fall off her face. “I don’t want to hurt you babygirl, I love you so much.” She did not respond when he kissed her cheek and squeezed her waist once more before letting go. It did not feel like a loving gesture. He pulled off and left her alone in the kitchen. When he was out of sight, she broke down once more. 

She laid on the floor in a pile and hugged her self tightly. All she wanted was to be happy and away from her cruel father. She sighed and stood up, running her fingers along her wounds. The cut on her neck stung, a lot. She winced and rubbed at it gently. She sighed once more before turning and leaving to her room, it was her only escape from his violence. When she got there she curled on her bed, snuggling her blankets as she let herself weep out. Covering her mouth with her hand to keep her wails in. 

She did not sleep in peace that night. She jumped and awoke at every small noise, fearing it was him returning to harm her. 

————————————————————-

She awoke in panic to familiar pain 

Her father above her, his strong hand gripped on her arm tight enough to bruise as he yanked her out of bed and on her feet. “Get up you lazy pig. You have work to do.” She was still groggy and sluggish from sleep and did not respond. 

“I SAID. YOU NEED TO GET THE FUCK OUT OF BED AND START DOING YOU CHORES YOU PIG!” That snapped her out and she flinched hard and threw her arm up defensively, “I-I’m sorry! I’ll get started right away!” He smirked and turned to leave before speaking once again. “I have important guests coming. Make yourself decent.” She nodded meekly and clasped her hands, looking at the floor ashamed, “Yes sir.” He left her alone and afraid. 

As quickly as she could, she tore a comb through her thick brown hair and dressed in a simple white form fitting dress. She walked out of her room and began today’s work. As the woman of the home, she was expected to cook, clean, and be the perfect slave. She started with breakfast, which she was expected to prepare every morning. Her father sat at the table, dressed in his solider uniform with a perfect topknot on his head.

Nervously, she grabbed a large pot and filled it with water. The pot was quite heavy and hard to pick up, she used all her strength to pick it up but it wasn’t enough. Her knees buckled and she tumbled on the floor, spilling water on the floors. She felt a pain at the back of her head and she yelped out. Her fathers rough hand grabbed her throat and pulled her up. The hand around her throat tightened, restricting airflow. She felt her feet dangling as she was hoisted off the ground to face him. His face was full of rage. “LOOK WHAT YOUVE DONE YOU LITTLE SKANK!” He spat at her and held her tightly. She wriggled in his grasp as her lungs screamed at her for air. She began to feel lightheaded and numb when she was released. 

She fell to the floor with a thump and greedily gasped in air while holding her aching throat. A strong kick came to her jaw and she fell backwards clumsily. He leaned down to stare down at her, her eyes wide with fear. “Clean this up. Now. Before I give you a reason to cry.” Her eyes widened and she scrambled to her feet, rushing to grab a towel.

She cleaned up the water, her fathers hungry eyes staring down at her. She could barely see the floor through tears. She was in so much pain. 

Quickly preparing breakfast like her life depended on it, because it did. The rest of the morning was on eggshells, she was dusting when her fathers guest arrived. It was none other than General Zhao. General Zhao was a intimidating man, rivaling her own father. 

She kept her head low as she continued dusting. Her father invited him to the table. 

She was not interested in listening to their conversation, she hated Zhao. She did not want to associate with him. But she couldn’t ignore his gaze. She could feel Zhaos hungry eyes on her as she carried on her chores, it was impossible to brush off. She did not want to know his hidden intentions and desires with her. Until she heard her her father call her. 

“M. Is the tea ready.” She jumped a bit at her nickname and turned to face her father, she kept her head low to the floor as she spoke. Refusing to look at them. “Y-Yes sir.” She quickly grabbed the tea and poured two servings of tea into delicate cups before placing them before the men. She turned to leave when she felt a hand on her shoulder. It wasn’t her fathers.

“Come here.” She quickly turned around, still keeping her head low. “Yes sir-“ she was cut off by Zhaos finger under her chin, tilting her head up to face him. “You’re a pretty thing, such exotic features. What’s your name.” She was meant to feel flattered, but instead she felt afraid. Meekly, she spoke once more, “M-Morgana sir.” He smirked and narrowed his eyes at her like a predator. “Interesting.” He let go of her and turned away. She quickly left the table. Not wanting to stay there for one more minute. 

She could barely focus on her chores now.


	2. Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morgana escapes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNINGS: IMPLIED RAPE
> 
> Songs for chapter:  
> July - Noah Cyrus   
> You don’t Own Me - Lesley Gore

It was around noon when Zhao finally left.   
  


_Finally._

Morgana hated tending to her fathers needs, it’s even worse that she had to treat Zhao like as well royalty. His rank meant nothing to her. She would never serve him. 

She was washing dishes when two arms snaked around her waist tightly from behind. She felt her father pressing his body against her. Blocking her from leaving. He grabbed a portion of her hair and twirled it around his finger, “General Zhao seems to have taken a liking to you my dear.” she gulped and tried to conceal her fear. “Oh.” Was all she said, and she continued washing the dishes. _  
_

_I will never be his whore. I would rather die to my father than face him._

He released her for a moment and placed his hands on her hips roughly, spinning her around to face him. She thought her heart would pop out of her chest as he stared down at her. His expression was unreadable, which made her more afraid. He placed his hands on the sink behind her, closing the space between them. He placed a hand on her thigh, squeezing it harder as seconds passed. She squirmed and whimpered. “Y-You’re hurting me.” He shot his hands back up to her already injured neck, tightening his grasp. He put pressure in the middle, cutting off her airflow. “Good.” 

She writhed underneath him, trying to pull away but it was no use, he was too strong. Tears were streaming down her face as she wheezed out in an effort to scream. He tried to pick her up, but she was too wiggly. “STOP STRUGGLING!” He released her neck and placed his hands around her waist tightly, lifting her up. She struggled to breathe, she couldn’t even register what was going on, only focusing on the breathing that was so difficult. He slung her onto the bed. By now, she was conscious enough to register what was going to happen. It had happened before. 

She began to panic, recalling the memories of what had happened so many times. No amount of scrubbing could remove the feeling of his hands all over her. She felt her wrists become pinned. She stopped fighting.

————————————————

She felt disgusted with herself. She began to loose herself in her thoughts. Why her, what sin did she commit to deserve this. She just wanted to disappear forever. A loud snore from beside her caused her to jump and remember where she was.   
  


The words echoed in her mind over and over.

_YOUR FAULT. YOUR FAULT. YOUR FAULT. YOUR FAULT. YOUR FAULT._

It was all her fault. 

She wanted nothing more than to get up and run away from this hell. She shifted in the covers and carefully tiptoed off the bed and out of the room. She refused to look in the mirror. She couldn’t face herself. Quickly and quietly, she slipped on underthings and a dress. It was a deep maroon and fell to the middle of her thighs. She knew what she was going to do.

Run. Run away and never return.

Morgana didn’t have many belongings. Her only possessions were a wooden comb her father made her, and a jade hairpin from her mother. She carefully slipped the comb in her pocket and placed the pin on her head. Tiptoeing to the kitchen, she didnt notice the knack in the floor. As soon as she slipped and hit the floor with enough force to shake the house, she knew it was time to go with no time to waste. Her fathers footprints echoed from his room, she scrambled to her feet and ran as fast as she could out the door without looking back. Her fathers screams could be heard from outside, “MORGANA! WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU YOU STUPID BITCH” She did not stop, she did not look back. Failing to notice the jade pin that fell off her head

She knew if she was caught, she would be killed or worse, resold. She picked up her pace. Her mind was screaming at her to not stop. 

————————————————————

She made it quite far, almost out of the kingdom, narrowly avoiding guards and generals, but not for long. 

Running was the only thing she was focused on as she turned into an alley, before she smacked into a large object and was shot back onto the pavement she looked up and her eyes widened into saucers when she was faced with a man she wished she never saw.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here.” General Zhao. He took a step closer and she backed up into the wall. He knelt down to look at her and she threw her arms up to shield herself. “P-Please don’t hurt me.” 

Zhao chuckled darkly. “Now why would I hurt a pretty thing like you,” he stuck his foot between her legs, “you dont even belong to me.” Morganas worst nightmare had come true, he was going to return her. She couldn’t stop her tears from falling,

“Please dont take me back. I’ll do anything.” He stood up and reached his hand down to her with a snide smile. She hesitated, but grabbed his hand as he hoisted her up

“I won’t dear, your coming with me.” Before she could react, he snapped his fingers and out of nowhere. 3 guards appeared and latched onto her arms tightly and before she knew it, she felt lightheaded. The last thing she saw before it went black was Zhaos taunting face. 


	3. Ownership

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morgana is taken into custody. But Zhao doesn’t seem interested in keeping her for very long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING: VIOLENCE AND SUICIDAL THOUGHTS
> 
> Song for this chapter:  
> Gonemne Gonemne - Kikuo

She was in pain, so much pain. 

She slowly opened her eyes and came to. She was in a dark and cold room, laying on the stone floor behind bars. She could make out the faint swaying of a boat. Sitting up, she tried to crawl over but was cut off by tension on her wrists pulling her back and the flattering of metal.

Chains attached to her scarred wrists, keeping her from escaping. 

She looked down, investigating her form. She still had her dress on, but it was quite dirty and torn at the hem. Her long brown hair hung down her back messily. Familiar scars littered her thighs and arms. Instinctively, her hand went to her pocket, where her comb sat in her pocket. Breathing a sigh of relief, she pulled it out and tore it through her hair. 

She placed the comb back in her pocket and the door swung open. Flicking her eyes to the door, she saw 3 guards, fire nation guards. Great.

”Get up. Give me your chain.” She stood up, legs shaking, and handed the guard her chain. Two lingered behind her, while the one in front drug her out of her cell. 

They exited the brig and entered into the main ship. It was a small military ship, she had seen many before. The sun was high in the sky over the blue sea, it was quite cold outside. If she had to guess they were near the poles. Guards and crew mates lingered about, chatting amongst each other and doing their daily duties. A few stopped and stared at the young woman being dragged across the ship.

The guard tugged on her chain, pulling her forward as a way to tell her to hurry up. Now was not the time to linger.

Across the boat was the main quarters, reserved for the commander of the ship. She was harshly pulled into the quarters, Zhao sat at the desk, waiting for them with a taunting smirk. The guard shoved her forward, causing her to fall to the floor on her knees with a whimper. 

She told herself to not look. Even as Zhaos heavy footsteps stopped right in front of her. She did not look up. 

”It appears the Moon lotus finally awoke.” Zhaos finger made his way under her chin, tilting it up to face the very man she hated the most, like he did the day they met. His eyes were not full of compassion, they were taunting. His face was one of nightmares.

“W-What are you going to do to me.” She spoke carefully, as to not anger him. He released her chin and walked to the other side of the room, but did not respond, facing a map plastered on the wall. Then he spoke once more.

“Have you ever heard of Prince Zuko.” She leaned back a bit in surprise. That’s an odd question.

“I’ve heard of him but I’m not very familiar with him.” The banished prince. She had heard rumors floating around about him. Many saying that his own father disowned him and branded his face. The royal family was not of her concern though.

“The prince is not much older than you, and I’m sure he’d love a,” Zhao turned to face her again. God she hated that face, “little plaything.”

Morgana could hardly believe what he was saying. She had just escaped one cruel man and was about to be turned over to another. She couldn’t go through this hell again. “Please no.” He did not respond he just sat there, taunting her as if he knew her situation. She felt two strong arms latch onto her forearms and practically drag her out of the room. She did not struggle, she was frozen in fear. What would be done to her.

She had heard horror stories of concubines and innocent women killed by Firelord Ozai, if Zuko was the son of this man, he could be just as cruel as Ozai is.

She was tossed into her cell again, her chain dropping to the floor loudly.

_why me. Why me. Why me. WHY ME._

_WHY DID THEY HAVE TO SPARE ME!_

Morgana wished she wasn’t spared, she wanted to be with her parents. Not stuck in custody of the fire nation. 

Silently, she sunk to the floor in a ball, and for the first time in ages, wept. She fell asleep, alone and afraid on the cold stone floor.

——————————————————-

_”RUN MORGANA!” It was her mother. her voice, even when yelling, still sounded like a song._

_She did, as fast as her little legs could carry her through the snow. The sounds of weaponry and pain echoed across the tundra, ash and soot fell through the air and stuck to her parka. The smell of fire drifted across her nose and stuck to her clothes and hair. She stumbled and barreled down into the snow. Finding relief in the snow, she lifted her head up to the look at the remains of her village, the once aqua sky was a hellish red, beautiful icy cabins were just ash._

_4 daunting military ships sat at the shoreline, ready to destroy her entire life._

_She laid there unmoving in the snow, staring at the destruction._

_”Well what do we have here?” A muffled and dark voice form behind her sneered._

_She scrambled to her feet and started to run when she felt a strong hand roughly grab her parka hood and jerk her backwards against the armored man. “Where do you think you’re going kitten.” He pulled tighter and she struggled in his grasp, trying to wriggle away, But he kept his grip._

_“LET GO OF ME!” The man just snickered and pulled her backwards, “I’m sure someone would pay a large price for a peasant child”_

_She tried to scream but a hand pressed over her mouth silenced her as she felt herself be yanked backwards harder._

_She was loaded onto the grimy ship in thick chains, knowing she would never go home again_


	4. Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loss and Sorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song for this chapter:
> 
> Without You - Lana Del Ray

“NO!” She sat up on the floor with a start. Her face was wet from tears, her hair stuck to her cheeks and plastered her forehead.

 _Another Nightmare._ Looking around, she could see that she was in the same place as before, the unforgiving brig. She looked down to see her legs coated in a slick layer of sweat. Gross. She had no idea how long she was asleep for, but the gentle swaying of the boat and the silent air gave her an idea.

Shifting into her cell, the chains around her rattled loudly, she yanked at the chains, trying to pull away but it was no use. They were bolted in the wall. She felt her wrists start to ache and she looked down at them. Large purple and blue bruises lined her wrist where the cuffs dug into her delicate skin. She growled in frustration and pulled at the chains again until the door swung open, revealing 2 guards.

“Be quiet!” Morgana shot them a glare and continued to clatter the chains. One of the guards stepped froward and grabbed her arm tight enough to break skin and looked at her with a twinkle of rage in his dark eyes. “Listen bitch, Admiral Zhao has griped at us to keep you protected, if it was up to me you’d be sold back into slavery,” Morgana whimpered and tried to pull away, “I’d be quiet before you get hurt. Do you understand.” She looked at the floor and nodded slowly. The man released her arm and shut the door behind him, the other guard following close behind. 

She sunk back down to the floor in defeat and stuck her hand in her pocket, feeling at her wooden comb. She ran her fingers over the carved wood, reminiscing on the memories. Her blood father at the small table, making delicate strikes over the wood. Cherishing each mark of the wood to create the comb. 

She held the comb up to her face. She could see the areas of rough wood and callousness from years of use. Slowly, she ran the comb through her wavy hair, delicately tearing at the thick knots. But something was missing.

She shot her hand up to her hair, roughly feeling around. Her jade hair clip was gone. She sat up in a panic and tore her fingers through her hair. It wasn’t there. 

A wave of misery and grief overcame her as she hung her head in her hands. Her shoulders shook as she wept. 

The one thing she had left of her mother was gone. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so i realized how Similar Katara is to Morgana, THEYRE TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE.  
> I would say that the two do them are connected somehow, maybe related but THEY ARENT THE SAME. As Morganas character progresses, you’ll see the two of become more different


	5. Broken Woman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We FINALLY get handed off to Zuko

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song for chapter:  
> Trauma - NF

She didn’t sleep any longer, she laid on her back, chains weighing her down as she stared at the ceiling. Hours went by like minutes, and before she knew it, she could see the golden sunlight creeping through the crack of the iron door. 

The rustle and bustle of guards and soldiers could be heard from the outside. Morgana rolled on her side and stared at the door. Longing desperately for the feel of fresh air on her skin. Almost on command, 3 guards slammed her door open. “Get up skank.” She was so tired, she could barely stand without collapsing. “Fine. If you want me to drag you like a dog, so be it.” Her cell door slid open and she felt her chain be roughly grabbed and yanked forward. 

She stumbled up, trying not to collapse from starvation and exhaustion. The guard did not wait for her to get settled. Another aggressive tug to her chain almost sent her toppling over. Her legs felt like jello as she clumsily made her way over. Stepping onto the ship was refreshing. The glowing sun made her skin feel warm, the fresh air like a comforting bliss across her body. As she walked across the ship. She remembered her situation. Prince Zuko. She saw another boat stationed by the edge of Zhao’s. It must be his.

A switch was flicked in her mind, she began to panic. Pulling against the chain and thrashing her body about, trying to get away. “NO!” She shouted, feeling loads of eyes move over to her. The guards were resilient, 2 came over to firmly plant their hands on her arms, one tugging on her chain. “KNOCK IT OFF WHORE.” A hand flew over her face. Hard. She stopped thrashing and winced in pain. “I said. Knock it off.” A bright red handprint planted on her cheek. 

_Panicking isn’t going to help._ She lowered her head and continued walking, seemingly satisfied, the guard grinned and turned back around, leading her to the edge of the ship, where the other ship sat. She was pulled over to the other ship quickly. It looked like Zhaos, but it was smaller. She was led over to outside of the main quarters where she heard voices.

“Prince Zuko, I’ve brought you a gift.” It was Zhao, she knew he was speaking of her. 

“Is it the avatar.” An unfamiliar voice came in, it must be Zukos. There was a tinge of annoyance in his words

”No, but it could aid as a,” he paused, “distraction.” The way he spoke made Morgana uncomfortable, there was something, off about it. 

She heard Zuko sigh defiantly. “Fine. Send it in.”

“Of course your highness.” She could hear his wickedness drip off his tongue before he called to the guards. “Send her in.” In the blink of an eye, she was roughly grabbed once more and tugged into the quarters. The guards threw her on the floor, causing her to fall to the floor in a pile. She turned her head up slightly, looking through her hair at the scene before her.

Zhao stood tall, staring down at her body with something indescribable in his deep eyes. A few feet away is where Zuko stood with crossed arms. He wore a set of deep red and black armor that jutted out at his wide shoulders. His arms and legs were muscular, but thin. He was very tall, about 1 foot taller than her. His golden eyes were striking and stared into hers firmly. The right side of his face was scarred. A angry red handprint plastered over one of his eyes. Beside his arm, an older man with a long beard watched the scene before him, he did not speak, but looked at her in pity.

She snapped out of her trance when Zhao grabbed her chin and jerked her face to look at him before he turned to face the prince again. “Pretty thing ain’t she. Found her in an alley.” Zhao turned to look at her again, pulling her face closer to his before leaning his mouth over to her ear and whispered. “I’m going to enjoy watching the light leave your eyes.” She whimpered and struggled against his grip before he released her. When he did, she backed away into the wall and squeezed her eyes shut.

“I’ll be taking my leave now, have fun with your gift.” He chuckled a bit and exited the room, leaving a warm breeze behind him. She did not open her eyes until the sound of boots coming towards her was heard. A large hand grabbed her arm and yanked her on her feet once more. She opened her eyes quickly to come face to face with the young man. “I am Prince Zuko. You will be referring to me as such from here forward. Is that clear.” She nodded quickly. “You’re hurting me.” He loosened his grip but did not respond. “Come with me.” She was quickly pulled across the ship, she could feel a judgemental gaze on her form.

He led her into a large bedroom. A black bed, a few dressers, and a large fire nation flag on the wall over the bed. He gestured to the bed, “Sit there.” She did, folding her hands in her lap and staring at the floor. Zuko stared at her, taking in her messy hair and ripped dress. “You look disgusting.” She tensed her body when He approached her and sat beside her. “We have to get you out of those clothes.”

Zuko grabbed the hem of her skirt and was about to lift it off when Morgana screamed, pushed his hand away, and backed into a corner with tears in her eyes. Startled, Zuko took a few steps back, wide eyed and surprised. Zuko knew he should punish her for yelling, but he knew the difference between a panicked woman and a misbehaving juvenile. He opened his mouth to speak but she only flinched and started sobbing. She did not look up until she heard feet stomping away and the door close behind.


	6. Anguish and Exhaustion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morgana starts to understand her surroundings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RAPE IS MENTIONED ONCE
> 
> Song for Chapter:  
> Daddy Issues - The Neighborhood

Quickly as he could, Zuko stomped out of his room, Leaving the frightened young woman alone. His uncle, Iroh, sat at a table, sipping a cup of tea. Iroh turned to Zuko, taking notice of his frustration. “I’d gather that she hasn’t taken to your persuasions.”

”I didn’t try to hurt her!” Zuko stammered, he would not stoop that low. He frowned upon violence against women, only the dishonorable would do that. “Her dress was all ripped so I tried to get it off of her to get her new clothes and she screamed. She was crying when I left.” Iroh put his cup down and turned to Zuko with a patient expression.

”Zuko, you have to put yourself in her shoes. She’s a young lady who was captured and given to a man as a prize who then tried to undress her. Of course she would be afraid.” Zuko turned away as his uncle continued, “Zhao was the one who found her. I wouldn’t be surprised if he used her for his own personal pleasure. Sexual assault is not rare. Especially when it’s against a woman who has no ability to fight back.” Iroh then stood and left Zuko alone with his thoughts.

He then sighed, and turned back into the quarters. He was relieved to see that she was no longer crying, but instead was in the corner, hugging her knees tightly. She turned and backed up when she saw him. Zuko put his hand out and spoke firmly, but gently. “I promise I will not hurt you. I just need you to undress so I can check your body for injuries and get you new clothes.” She hung her head with sad eyes before slowly standing up. Her eyes were blurry from tears as she grabbed her hem and pulled it over her head, leaving her in her breast binder and undergarments. She refused to look at him

Zuko ran his eyes over her form, being careful to not linger on her feminine flesh. Her body was unfamiliar. Most fire nation women were paper thin like a stick with small breasts and a small butt. However, she was more curvy with large breasts, enlarged hips, and thick thighs. 

Numerous injuries littered her body. Small red bruises climbed over her arms and over her thighs while large purple ones wrapped around her neck and wrists. Zuko also saw what looked like, lovebites? Starting from the top of her collarbone leading down to the top of her breast. They also planted on the soft skin of her inner thighs. 

Her beauty was entoxicating. The way her curves stood out under her delicates was exotic. He wanted to touch them, to caress every part of her body and find out what has her screaming out in pleasure and writhing beneath him. Zuko tried to shake his thoughts away and turned away from her. 

“Um can I put my clothes back on.” Her voice was merely a whisper. Her words flowed like honey off her tounge. Making his body even more excited. 

“No.” Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her eyes widen and her body tense up. “You can’t leave me like this!” 

He turned to face her again and took a step closer, a frustrated glint in his eyes. “You don’t get to tell me what to do! This is my ship and you are my property! Would you rather be naked?” She shrunk away from him and threw her arms up to shield her face before she shook her head quickly, taking another step away from him.

“I thought so. Stay here. My men will not hesitate to apprehend you if you try to escape. Is that clear.”

She nodded once more, crossing her arms over her chest to cover her exposed skin and sinking back to the ground.


End file.
